I have these 2 coins on consignment from another dealer. My 2002 Krause just says "Unauthorized strikes". They are both 1985. A Panama 5 cent and a 2.5 centismo. Both are NGC proof 69 ultra deep cam. Any thoughts on value? Or how they came to be? pic pic pic pic pic pic
1985 is the year that Warner Brothers sold Franklin Mint. It seems that with the change in owners, FM quit making authorized coins for foreign governments. Perhaps Panama foresaw the future and bailed out before the 1985 issues were to be released and FM minted a few anyhow.
I have a little more information now. I believe these coins to have been created by Paramount, with the blessings of the Panamanian government. I don't have any way of knowing how many were struck or whether they were ever actually sold or not.
